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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23479423">Waiting for seven years</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eeelly/pseuds/eeelly'>eeelly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shugo Chara!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>After the ending of the manga, Amu is not honest, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, Getting Together, Grown-up Characters, I'm sorry I needed to write this, Ikuto comes back, Questioning, Tadase is still hitting on Amu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:48:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,299</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23479423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eeelly/pseuds/eeelly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven years have passed since Ikuto and Amu last saw each other. Through time they have texted and called, but Amu’s started to miss the boy too much for her own good. What happens when she finally decides to move on? And what if Ikuto suddenly comes back?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinamori Amu/Tsukiyomi Ikuto, Hoshina Utau/Souma Kuukai (mentioned)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Waiting for seven years</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! I've re-read the Shugo Chara manga, and I noticed there are very few fanfictions about Ikuto eventually coming back from his tour, so I decided to write one myself.<br/>I'm sorry if the English isn't perfect, but I hope you'll enjoy this work!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Tadase-kun!” Amu called, running towards her childhood friend. They had parted ways after middle school but always kept in touch, occasionally seeing each other. Somehow, as if fate was trying to tell them something, they had started attending the same college. Being around the prince was kind of awkward sometimes, because his feelings for the girl were pretty obvious. “Sorry for making you wait! Let’s go home now,” she said, smiling.</p>
<p>“Kiseki, hello!” Ran, Miki, Suu and Dia all greeted the other Shugo Chara, who still pretended that he didn’t care about anybody but himself.</p>
<p>“Hmpf, commoners,” he muttered, but still followed the four Guardian Characters while struggling to hide his growing smile. “Tadase, the plebs and I are going ahead. Have fun,” he said.</p>
<p>“Amu-chan, Amu-chan!” the four little creatures whispered at their owner’s hear before catching up with the king. “You look great today!” they said. The girl smiled, waving at the Shugo Charas who flew away.</p>
<p>Not having to wear a uniform anymore was liberating, as she could wear whatever she wanted to. That day, she was dressed in a magenta shirt, black shorts with long, striped hose and her favorite boots. Her hair was tied up like she always used to do Sometimes she had thought about having a style change, but she had always loved gothic punk, so she’d never given anything else a try. But she did let her hair grow longer.</p>
<p>“Amu-chan,” Tadase looked at her fondly. “You know, I do know this is not a date and that we’re just going home because we’re having a tea party with the rest of the ex-Guardians, but I don’t mind being alone with you,” he admitted, his cheeks growing redder. He looked like the ripest tomato ever.</p>
<p>“I mean, this is not a date, but,” she said, blushing a little bit. “Maybe, someday, it will,” she encouraged him. The truth was, she didn’t love Tadase. She sure liked him, she always had, and she would have been lying if she said she didn’t have a crush on him back in elementary school. Tadase was also aware of the girl’s change of heart. However, Amu remembered the guy saying he would have never given up – and he didn’t, as a matter of fact.</p>
<p>God, she would have died to have Tadase’s strength. Amu didn’t love him because she was deeply in love with another boy. Last time she checked he returned the feelings, and had asked her to wait for him, stating he would have come back to get her when she became a grown-up woman. However, seven years had passed, and the boy never came back. She missed him so, so much, and texting him couldn’t fill the gaps. She just needed him to be there to make fun her like he used to, to hug her, to burst into her room like it wasn’t trespassing. She missed Ikuto like hell.</p>
<p>Just thinking about it made Amu hurt and kind of depressed. She had never loved anybody else, waiting for him. Maybe it was time to move on, and what better chance than doing it with her former crush who still had feelings for her? She just needed some time to forget and get her heart settled again. She did feel a little guilty toward Tadase, but maybe it was for the best.</p>
<p>“Wait, what do you mean?” the boy asked, stopping her by taking her hand in his. He was a shy boy, but he was so shocked by what he heard that he didn’t think about what he was doing. “Are you saying that you’ve started looking at me that way again? Are you serious?” he excitedly questioned, an enthusiastic grin on his lips. Aah, that made Amu feel even guiltier…</p>
<p>“Uhm, well, that’s…” the girl was about to say something but interrupted herself when she heard a noise coming from the hedges on their right. It was just the sound of leaves moving, but deep inside her she was hoping for Ikuto to suddenly appear. Unfortunately, just a cute squirrel came out from the hedges. Amu looked more disappointed than ever, but Tadase was too excited to notice.</p>
<p>“H…Hinamori-san?” the unknown voice of a freaking out boy came from behind the girl. She turned around to face him. “Is… Is that your boyfriend?” the boy asked, pointing at Tadase with his eyes. Amu blushed, but Tadase did more.</p>
<p>“Not exactly,” she replied, really embarrassed by the question. “What is it?” she questioned again, not noticing that her cold-hearted tone came out again. She didn’t want to scare the boy more than he already was. However, he twitched in anxiety and handed her a letter before running away. She watched him disappearing, far away from them, and decided to open the envelope and read the letter. She sighed, and Tadase couldn’t say if it was from frustration or guilt.</p>
<p>“Love letter? You get quite the number of them, don’t you?” he asked, patting her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yes, even if I turn everyone down,” she said. “I don’t understand why: even if they’re scared of my indifferent and distant side, even if I always behave coldly with them, even if I don’t know them, they still come and confess.”</p>
<p>“That’s because you’re beautiful,” Tadase replied nonchalantly. Probably he hadn’t even realized yet, but he did when he saw the blushing face of the girl in front of him. “Uhm, I’m sorry, I didn’t…”</p>
<p>“Hey, you lovebirds!” the not too distant voice of Kuukai interrupted them again, and Amu felt glad to be saved. She knew that someday she would have had to speak up, but she just wasn’t ready to do that. Her heart still belonged to that jerk of Tsukiyomi Ikuto.</p>
<p>“Souma-kun! Oh, Utau-chan is here too!” Amu turned around and ran towards them, hugging them both. “Long time no see! How are you?” she asked, as happy as ever. The only thing that made her feel better from the sorrow of missing her loved one was spending time with her friends; that was why she had organized the tea party at her place.</p>
<p>“We’re great, Hinamori, and we could say the same thing about you!” Kuukai commented, smiling in amusement. Amu was always happy to see him, as she still considered him to be the first boy who had ever listened to her. Back to the old days, of course. “You seem thrilled. Did something good happen? With Tadase, maybe?”</p>
<p>“Hah!? Not at all, what are you saying!” Amu defended herself, but she blushed anyway. Utau seemed pretty upset about that, so she took Kuukai’s arm in jealousy.</p>
<p>“Amu, I’ve missed you too, but step away from my boyfriend,” the blonde said, a little pout appearing on her beautiful face. Kuukai almost passed out at his girlfriend’s cuteness. “Oh, before King-sama gets too close… Have you perhaps forgotten about Ikuto?” she whispered. Amu’s smile dropped.</p>
<p>“I, well… No, uhm, Ikuto…” she shook her head, driving away her sad thoughts and putting on a huge smile on her face. A fake one, this time. “Not the time to talk about that! We should head to my place, instead” she said excitedly, even if something inside her started to break. “Tadase-kun! C’mon, you’re slow!”</p>
<p>“I’m coming!” he shouted back, catching up with his friends.</p>
<p>
  <strong>* * *</strong>
</p>
<p>“Amu,” Utau called the girl, who was doing the dishes while everybody else was happily playing cards in the living room. Laughter, swear words, jokes and every kind of noise could be heard from the kitchen, where the two girls were now speaking. “Can I help you?”</p>
<p>“Sure! Thanks, Utau-chan,” Amu smiled.</p>
<p>“Ikuto’s back in town,” Utau said. “He came back yesterday night, and said he was going to visit you this morning. Have you seen him yet?” she asked, perfectly knowing that Amu hadn’t. If she had, Ikuto would have been there as well, clinging on the pink-haired girl while fighting with Tadase.</p>
<p>Amu was stunned. She didn’t reply, lost in thoughts.</p>
<p>“I could call him and tell him to join us,” Utau offered, her phone already in her hand as she typed her brother’s number.</p>
<p>“Wait, don’t,” Amu stopped her. She had a dark, sad look on her eyes which made the blonde pity her. “He’s probably really tired. Let him rest,” she said, smiling. That was probably the most fake smile she had ever put on. “If he wants to pass by, he will. Let’s leave him be, okay?”</p>
<p>Utau nodded but didn’t move. Eventually, she hugged her friend like she never did before. And Utau wasn’t exactly the cuddly type, which made Amu feel somewhat better. “You’re so strong.”</p>
<p>“Of course I am! Who do you think you’re talking to, huh!?” Amu asked and started laughing, but the way she grabbed on Utau’s hood betrayed the happy and cheering tone of her voice. “Come on,” she said after a while, breaking the hug. “Let’s go back playing in the living room!”</p>
<p>The two went back to the others, but just to find them getting ready to leave. The Shugo Chara were saying goodbye and hugging each other. Even Kiseki gave in to the sweet and cuddly atmosphere. “You’re going? It’s been a pleasure to have you all here, guys. Let’s do this again, someday!”</p>
<p>“Sure thing, Amu-chan!” they said, as they all took turns to hug her. Even if none of them knew, that was exactly what she needed in that moment – hugs from her loved ones.</p>
<p>Left alone again, Amu headed into her room. She let her body fall onto the bed where she curled up, resting her head on her knees, embracing them so strong she could have hurt herself. Her Guardian Characters, who were still happily chatting, noticed her and approached her.</p>
<p>“Amu-chan, what’s wrong?” Ran asked, as they all laid on her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Ikuto’s back. I don’t want to face him,” she said as she started to cry softly. She had promised herself to never cry over Ikuto. She had grabbed onto his promise for seven years, but tears just started to drop on her cheeks on their own and she couldn’t control them anymore.</p>
<p>“Why not?” a voice, coming from the door of the bedroom, asked. Amu would have identified that hoarse voice everywhere: she raised her head, her eyes still puffy and red. “Yo,” he greeted, smiling.</p>
<p>Ikuto had changed quite a bit. He was more manly, now, and even taller. He was a total grown-up, handsome, mature man. Well, she wasn’t sure about the “mature” part, but still. He was wearing a leather jacket, under which she could see a white shirt. He had black tight jeans on, and resting on the wall next to the Timberland boots he was wearing there was his precious violin.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” she questioned, wiping away her tears and sniffing. She got up to look for some tissues.</p>
<p>“Passing by?” he asked rhetorically.</p>
<p>“Without knocking, it’s called trespassing,” she replied coldly, blowing her nose and collecting herself.</p>
<p>“Don’t complain,” he said, moving from the wall he was leaning on in order to sit down on her bed. “Missed me?” he asked, still smiling as he waited for her to join him on the mattress.</p>
<p>“As if,” she kept her cold tone. Noticing him on the bed, she stayed still, arms crossed on her chest, angrily looking at him. She had the expression of a murderer. “Why are you back in Japan? Do you have a tour stop here?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Nope,” he said, and looked at his violin. “I had so much fun playing with the band, but I started to miss home. So, here I am,” he stated, standing up again and moving closer to the girl. “You sure you didn’t miss me, too?” he asked, alluring.</p>
<p>“Not one tiny bit,” she lied again. She was fighting her urge to jump at him and hug him. She wanted to feel him close again, but at the same time, she didn’t want to give in to him.</p>
<p>“Aah, right,” he muttered. Amu swore she heard a glimpse of disappointment. “You have a boyfriend now, so of course you have other things in your mind,” he said, moving away from her and heading towards the door again. “I guess I’ve failed, haven’t I? I lost to Tadase.”</p>
<p>Amu watched him going away, a confused expression growing up on her face. “What?”</p>
<p>“You and Tadase. I saw you two today on a date,” he said, jealousy filling his voice and making it slightly higher. “I mean, I know seven years is a long time and I know you’re a teenager with needs, but you could have told me sooner,” he pouted.</p>
<p>“That’s funny, coming from the guy who hasn’t told be a thing about being back home!” she added, as she stepped forward until the gap between them was shorter than planned.</p>
<p>“I wanted to surprise you, but you surprised me instead,” he defended himself, blushing for the closeness. It was not usual for him to be the shy one, as Ikuto had always been pretty shameless.</p>
<p>“You did surprise me as well,” she said, biting her lower lip to fight the urge to cuddle the man in front of her because he was illegally cute. “I didn’t know I had a relationship with Tadase-kun,” she said. Ikuto went silent and looked at her, surprised – and happy.</p>
<p>“Wait, what.”</p>
<p>“But you couldn’t know since you haven’t seen me in seven years, could you?” she said, stepping back again. “I guess that if Tadase and I actually look so good together, we should really start dating. Would you be happy about it?”</p>
<p>Ikuto was still silent. Amu’s Shugo Charas, who had been watching from the very beginning, were silently laughing while hiding in their eggs. “Why are you the one making fun of me? This should be my role.”</p>
<p>“I am the one who’s waited seven years, Ikuto! I’ve been waiting for you since I graduated! This is my time to take payback!” Amu burst out at him, giving in to her anger. “Why do you think I was crying? Of course, I missed you! And when I’m trying to move on you suddenly come back? Go to hell!”</p>
<p>“You’re not the only one who’s been waiting, you know?” he said softly. He looked sincerely hurt by the girl’s words, and Amu calmed down. She hated herself for the fondness she felt towards him – but he looked so cat-like, so cute, that she couldn’t help but give up.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I said too much,” she apologized, and walked past Ikuto in order to exit the room. “I’m making dinner. Want some?” she asked, and headed into the kitchen as soon as she saw the boy nodding in response.</p>
<p>
  <strong>* * *</strong>
</p>
<p>About one minute after she had started cooking fish, she felt a sudden warm sensation on her back, as well as two long arms holding her waist. That was Ikuto back-hugging her. She took a moment to silently enjoy that.</p>
<p>“What are you doing? Get off of me,” she said, not actually meaning it. In her head, she wanted to say something very different. When she saw Ran sitting on the counter all smiley, she glared at her as to tell her not to dare to do something weird like Character Changing. Ran flew away again, laughing at her owner’s shyness.</p>
<p>“Don’t wanna,” Ikuto muttered, and Amu felt his breath tickling her skin. She closed her eyes and bit her lips to prevent herself from passing out. “I’ve missed you.”</p>
<p>“You’ve already said that,” she replied, blushing. “I’m angry, please get off of me, Ikuto,” she asked and lied again. Somehow, the man knew she wasn’t saying the truth.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he muttered again, placing a chaste kiss on the crook of her neck. She had to lean on the counter in order not to fall on her knees at the addicting sensation. “I’m sorry if I made you wait. But I did keep my promise.”</p>
<p>Amu twitched. “The… The promise?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he affectionately said. “To come back when you’d be older. You’re nineteen now, aren’t you?” he asked, and when Amu nodded Ikuto laughed in amusement. “Then that’s great. I can legally make you mine now.”</p>
<p>“Oi, stray cat, keep your hormones down! Who said you could lay a hand on me?” Amu asked, truly irritated by the last sentence. She would have lied if she said she wasn’t glad he hadn’t forgotten about their promise, but he was going too far. She turned around to face him, but she found herself blocked between the counter and Ikuto’s body.</p>
<p>“But I love you,” he said, resting his forehead on hers. Amu’s head started to spin way too fast. “Are you saying you still don’t love me back?”</p>
<p>“I… I do, but that’s not the...” Amu stopped herself from saying more. She hadn’t realized she had just told Ikuto she loved him back, so she was shocked. And Ikuto was, too, maybe more than her. “Wait, I withdraw that.”</p>
<p>“Could you say that again?” Ikuto asked, a cute, needy expression growing on his face. “Pretty please? Amu?” he asked again, and the girl decided it was time to give in. She didn’t want to bear any more pain or regret.</p>
<p>“I love you, too,” she whispered, looking away from him and pouting. “But just a bit, so don’t be too excited about this,” she added, peeking at him and melting at the cuteness of his expression. Ikuto was smiling more than he’d ever had before, a light pink blush on his cheeks.</p>
<p>“Again,” he requested, leaning closer to Amu, who was still looking away. He pecked her cheek as he kept asking the girl to express her feelings, kissing her skin each time she refused. Not that she minded much, so she kept refusing.</p>
<p>“Still not allowed to touch me, you perverted stray cat.”</p>
<p>“But I need affection, Amu,” he complained, still hugging and cuddling her. “Look, let’s talk about our relationship, okay? Then I promise we’ll cook and eat and do whatever you want,” he asked. Amu sighed, slightly annoyed but still happy. She was so sad that same morning, and she realized that fighting with Ikuto, crying over him, and being over-excited because they had just confessed their feelings for each other had made her really tired.</p>
<p>“Fine. But you cook,” she said, sitting on a chair. Ikuto sat down right next to her, and they talked things out for a long time.</p>
<p>
  <strong>* * *</strong>
</p>
<p>“Ikuto,” Amu called him, softly so that he wouldn’t have woken him up if he was sleeping.</p>
<p>“Hmm?” he mumbled, still hugging her. They had decided to sleep together after the boy promised not to do anything weird to her during the night.</p>
<p>“While we were fighting, a few hours ago… You looked at me and blushed. Why is that? You almost never blush, even if it’s about me,” she asked, a bit embarrassed but too curious not to ask.</p>
<p>“Because you’ve grown-up and you’ve become a woman,” he replied, sleepily.</p>
<p>Amu was quiet for a while, then it hit her. “Were you having weird thoughts?”</p>
<p>“Not telling,” he replied.</p>
<p>“IKUTO!!”</p>
<p>
  <strong>* * *</strong>
</p>
<p>“Amu-chan!” Tadase greeted her and took her hand, happy to see her again. He was looking forward to her answer to his feelings that day. He was about to hug her tight when something pulled him back. “Huh?”</p>
<p>“Don’t touch, kid,” Ikuto said, holding the boy back.</p>
<p>“Ikuto nii-san!” Tadase looked happy to greet him, but was confused about the previous warning. “Why shouldn’t I hug her? We’re friends.”</p>
<p>“You’re forbidden to touch her from now on,” Ikuto said, walking past Tadase to back-hug Amu like he was getting used to doing. “What’s mine, is mine only.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you've liked this! I cut some parts while I was writing, I hope that wasn't a mistake...<br/>P.S.: Both Amu and Ikuto are lunatic, aren't they?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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